Gardening and Farming

The best dose of medicine gardens ever receives are flowers. Nowadays, many farmers are shifting from their profession to other professions due to a lack of financial protection. Environmental change is a challenge for the farmer. 

Hydroponic production systems are used by small farmers and commercial enterprises whereas some farmers used Aquaponic for their agricultural purpose.

Hydroponic Farming:

Hydroponic Farming consists of Six systems:

² Wick System

² Deep Water Culture System

² Nutrient Film Technique

² EBB and Flow System

² Aeroponics

² Drip System

Wick system:

1. No mechanical machines should be used, instead of the air pump.

2. Plants are located in waterproof containers filled with growing media and over a container of nutrient solution that a wick dipped into a nutrient solution.

Deep Water Culture System:

1. Plants' roots are submerged in water and nutrient solution.

2. Air stone is used to provide air supply for supplying dissolved Oxygen to plants.

Nutrient Film Technique:

1. Plants are placed on a shallow channel and water is pumping nutrient solution into the channel.

2. Water flows down the channel and back into the nutrient solution.

EBB and Flow System:

1. Water pump floods, plants with nutrient solutions, periodically using the timer.

2. Water slowly drains back into the nutrient solution.

Aeroponics:

1. Water pump draws water from the nutrient solution.

2. Sprays mist into plant roots.

Drip System:

1. Water pump draws water from nutrient solution And drips it continuously onto plants.

2. Water slowly drains back into the nutrient solution.

Advantages and Disadvantages Of Hydroponics:

Advantages:

n Eliminates soil-borne.

n Allows control of water and nutrients.

n Higher quality plants and higher yields.

n Able to grow vegetables where impossible.

Disadvantages:

n Systems are expensive.

n Requires regular monitoring.

n Slower growth rate.

n Make land infertile Because of Urea.

n Prone to algae growth.

Aquaponic Farming:

It comprises Six Systems:

1. Feed Fish.

2. Pump removes waste and cycles water.

3. Beneficial Bacteria converts Ammonia and Nitrites into Nitrates.

4. Plants remove Nitrates (Plant Food) from water.

5. Clean water drains from growing beds to sump.

6. Pump returns clean water to the fish tank.

Advantages and Disadvantages Of Aquaponics:

Advantages:

n Grows plants with full nutrient Density.

n Utilizes Wasted spaces.

n Quick and Efficient setup.

n Minimizes Pests, Diseases, and Maintenance.

n Does not consistently Require Nutrient Solution.

Disadvantages:

n Can be complex and difficult to setup and

n Maintain.

n Reliance on electricity and stable water source.

n Fish health and welfare must be carefully managed.

n Failure of one part of the system can affect others.

In certain states, AgRicultural land can be sold by Farmers due to a lack of finance or because farmers don’t see their future in farming, they want to settle In Big Cities or abroad for their children’s educational purposes.

Difference between Gardening and Agriculture

Gardening:

  Often known as the horticulture process of

Growing and tending plants

What is horticulture?

Horti word derived from hortus meaning

Garden

Culture is a word derived from Cultura meaning cultivation. 

Agriculture:

The practice of farming crops or rearing livestock.

Farmers need to make soil organically more powerful through four components

1. Mineral (45%, + or -, by volume): 

The mineral component of soil consists of rocks ground down over geologic time as a result of physical, chemical, and biological actions. 

2. Organic matter (5%, + or -):

 Organic matter is made up of a wide range of organic (carbon-containing) substances, including living organisms, plant biomass, and the carbonaceous remains of organisms and plants. Some soil microorganisms break down the remains of plants, animals, and other microorganisms; others synthesize new substances.

3. Soil air (25%):

 Its primary role is to provide oxygen to fuel the aerobic activities of microorganisms and plant roots. Soil bacteria that associate with roots of legumes such as beans and peas use the nitrogen component of soil air to “fix” nitrogen in a form that plant roots can assimilate. 

4. Water (25%): 

the soil solution is the vehicle for nutrients to “flow” into plants and, along with the products of photosynthesis, “grow” the plant. The soil solution also gives plants their turgor and rigidity. 

Biological Approach:

² A “feedstock” to nourish microbes 

² A low population of soil-borne plant diseases and pathogens 

² A high population of beneficial soil microorganisms 

² Good soil consistency, that is, the ability to resist degradation (compaction, erosion, etc.) 

² Good tilt, which refers to the “workability” of soil.

Closing Tips:

n Cultivate judiciously and skillfully 

n Add organic matter at least once a year as compost or green manures from cover crops

n Minimize soil compaction 

n Get a lab soil test done and use the results to develop a fertility management plan. Then monitor the soil via periodic tests every 1–3 years to see if your plan is working

As global agricultural development and trade have accelerated in the last half-century, mainly via the “green revolution” and the formation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), increasing trade Supplements have a deleterious effect on soil quality. The techniques illustrated in this manual emphasize long-term soil stewardship using an integrated approach to soil health and management.

 For example,

I. Cover crops hold soil aggregates together in the wet season, protecting soil from the erosive effects of rain. Properly timed tillage limits its destructive effects on soil particles and soil structure. 

II. Compost promotes a healthy soil ecosystem, improving the soil’s structure and its ability to withstand wind and water erosion.

Conclusion :

Compost promotes a healthy soil ecosystem, improving the soil’s structure and its ability to withstand wind and water erosion. In addition, Farmers need to protect soil from harmful organisms.